New policy for reservations based on check IN date

[DVC Grandpa]

The solution is still pretty simple. Allow member to book any group of days (up to 7), which are contiguous and include day(s) that is currently at the 11+7-month threshold. No extensions of reservations that are less than 7 days until the extending days are within the 11-month window. No “walking” of reservations, for members using the DBD extension for 7 day reservations, no partial cancellations for 14 days after their last DBD add on as a matter of standard practice. No booking multiples of the same resort/room classes during the 11+7 window.
Yes you could still walk a reservation if you had enough points but it would be “against the rules”.

bookwormde

I have four adult kids, each having a family themselves. Are you advocating that I can not book rooms to accommodate them when we go over Thanksgiving or any other time? This is a family resort but you would suggest we don’t bring our family? What would be your suggestion I do to reserve there rooms?

 

[ransom]

Definitely!

I am really curious to know how many people did complain about the DBD. It doesn't seem possible that it is the "overwhelming feedback from members" that they seem to tell all of us. I just can't imagine what the conversation would be like. I suppose it would be in the lines of:

"Hi, yes, is this the Members Satisfaction Team?....Yes, I have a complaint.....I do not like the idea that other members are able to book their vacation day by day....Yes, I know they can but I don't want to call everyday at 9am, so no one should be allowed either!"

Yeah, I can see that happening all the time.

 

[jdg345]

Then I would book another resort or pick another time. You don't get into a situation where you've already committed to borrowing the points only to find three days later that your vacation is in tatters.

All true. I didn't say that under the new system I would get my way, just that it is fair. You call and you get the reservation you desire. Or you don't and you make a different reservation. But no one else can take away your room on day 3 of your vacation.

But they can take Day 8? If Day-3 wasn't available, you could have opted to switch resorts then as well, no? Or pick another time? You chose to waitlist, and it worked ... but it was a choice.

 

[jdg345]

I've read several posts and I understand the delimma that everyone is up in arms about. I feel like no matter what the system is some people are going to try to use it to their personal advantage to try to insure that get the rooms they want for Christmas, NYE etc. I don't particularly care for the practice of DBD reservations, I'd rather that practice not be allowed. To me DBD is not much different than walking a reservation. They are both ways of trying to skirt the rules to your advantage.

DBD is quite different than Walking. In DBD, you're trying to get a room you want for that day. With Walking, you're booking up rooms you really don't have any desire to keep. In fact, in most cases, you know you won't be using those days at all.

In one case you're competing with members for rooms you both want. In the other case, you're booking rooms you don't want that another member might. Now that other member loses out on something you really didn't want in the first place.

 

[jdg345]

Definitely!

I am really curious to know how many people did complain about the DBD. It doesn't seem possible that it is the "overwhelming feedback from members" that they seem to tell all of us. I just can't imagine what the conversation would be like. I suppose it would be in the lines of:

"Hi, yes, is this the Members Satisfaction Team?....Yes, I have a complaint.....I do not like the idea that other members are able to book their vacation day by day....Yes, I know they can but I don't want to call everyday at 9am, so no one should be allowed either!"

Not sure if you read the entire thread, but there was a posted (or two) that said they like the new system better. And do you know why? They said they liked it better because they didn't want to go through the hassle of booking DBD and didn't think it was fair that other people did and might get a reservation they wanted.

So, since they chose not to be bothered with it, they didn't want anyone else to be able to do it either.

 

[delmar411]

Now I'll admit I couldn't make it through this whole thread so I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before.

But in thinking about the changes, isn't this exactly the same as how you can book ADRs? Sometimes, no matter if you are the first caller or not, there are no sutiable ADRs available for your restaurant of choice because they have been booked up already by the 10days of callers before you (check in + 10).

It seems to be ok with ppl that the dining ADRs work like that and everyone seems to get what they need for the most part. Although Disney has had to crack down on multiple ADRs by requiring CC holds, pre-payments and strict cancellation timeframes.

I'm not really sure how this new policy will effect us but we are relatively flexible with dates so hopefully it won't spoil how we vacation.

just my 2¢

 

[photobob]

DBD is quite different than Walking. In DBD, you're trying to get a room you want for that day. With Walking, you're booking up rooms you really don't have any desire to keep. In fact, in most cases, you know you won't be using those days at all.

In one case you're competing with members for rooms you both want. In the other case, you're booking rooms you don't want that another member might. Now that other member loses out on something you really didn't want in the first place.

I understand what you are saying, but to me you're still trying to find a way to beat the system either way.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Ransom,

KAT4DISNEY

They could still do that at the 11 month mark which in most cases would not be a problem unless the wanted concierge or 2 studios for the week of Christmas.

This is not a must; it just stops some avenues of gaming the system and reduces serial renters from grabbing chunks of rooms with 1 call. It might work if you could only do 1 reservation per call or per hour rather than restricting it totally during the 11+7 period. Members with 2 separate contracts (under different formal names could still do it).

boowkormde

Now I'm a bit more confused. 11 months is still 11 months. So your suggesting that one room can be booked 11 + 7 days, while a second one can only be booked 11 months DBD?

Then I would book another resort or pick another time. You don't get into a situation where you've already committed to borrowing the points only to find three days later that your vacation is in tatters.

All true. I didn't say that under the new system I would get my way, just that it is fair. You call and you get the reservation you desire. Or you don't and you make a different reservation. But no one else can take away your room on day 3 of your vacation.

But you could already do this at 11 months from your check out day with the old system.

Now I'll admit I couldn't make it through this whole thread so I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before.

But in thinking about the changes, isn't this exactly the same as how you can book ADRs? Sometimes, no matter if you are the first caller or not, there are no sutiable ADRs available for your restaurant of choice because they have been booked up already by the 10days of callers before you (check in + 10).

It seems to be ok with ppl that the dining ADRs work like that and everyone seems to get what they need for the most part. Although Disney has had to crack down on multiple ADRs by requiring CC holds, pre-payments and strict cancellation timeframes.

I'm not really sure how this new policy will effect us but we are relatively flexible with dates so hopefully it won't spoil how we vacation.

just my 2¢

And MS has never asked me if I like that policy either! BTW - I don't like it. However getting to eat at a certain place at a certain time means less to me than being at WDW on the days that I can go. It's just less on my priorities so I haven't felt the need to complain even though they haven't asked.

 

[ljmiii]

But they can take Day 8?

Well, I agree that the seven day limit is silly. But as others have posted, Disney is letting people book days 8 through whatever DBD at 11+7 so it is of relatively little practical significance.

If Day-3 wasn't available, you could have opted to switch resorts then as well, no? Or pick another time?

I couldn't switch resorts since I couldn't book at 11 months anywhere but my home resort. So I booked a smaller (illegal) sized room and hoped that if push came to shove I could plead with them to let us all stay in it. Picking another time was problematic because I had already borrowed points for the first couple of days. (I don't remember the exact wording the Disney person used but it is along the lines of, "Now before I book this you understand that borrowing points is irreversable and they must be used...yada, yada, yada")

I'm not saying that there are not people who will no longer be able to get the room and/or date they want. Heck, since I know to do DBD booking I may be one of those people. I'm just saying that the new system IS fair - probably more fair to the vast majority of DVC members.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Yes, that was how it was explained to me. You may start booking any night within the 11 month window with contiguous nights after your start date. As soon as you run into an unavailable night outside the 11 month window but inside the 11+7 you must waitlist it and the remainder of your days.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to clarify this for me. I apologize if my comments confused anyone else!

If this is indeed the policy, then I am back to not liking the changes but feeling like I can work with the new system although it may be more cumbersome and time-consuming. My tolerance for these changes comes due to the number of points I have, which gives me the flexibility I believe I will need for my one reservation a year of a difficult to book room.

I do have empathy for those who do not have the points that will give them this flexibility. The real impact ofthis change may be that fewer members will buy small allotments of points at other resorts to use at the 11 month window. -- Suzanne

 

[BeccaG]

Now I'll admit I couldn't make it through this whole thread so I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before.

But in thinking about the changes, isn't this exactly the same as how you can book ADRs? Sometimes, no matter if you are the first caller or not, there are no sutiable ADRs available for your restaurant of choice because they have been booked up already by the 10days of callers before you (check in + 10).

I don't think it had been mentioned in the thread, but for some reason this very morning I resigned myself to the same thing! I was just about to post something to the effect when I read your post. . . kinda creepy Although I don't like the new policy, that thought made me feel a bit better!

 

[Inkmahm]

Now I'll admit I couldn't make it through this whole thread so I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before.

But in thinking about the changes, isn't this exactly the same as how you can book ADRs? Sometimes, no matter if you are the first caller or not, there are no sutiable ADRs available for your restaurant of choice because they have been booked up already by the 10days of callers before you (check in + 10).

It seems to be ok with ppl that the dining ADRs work like that and everyone seems to get what they need for the most part. Although Disney has had to crack down on multiple ADRs by requiring CC holds, pre-payments and strict cancellation timeframes.

I'm not really sure how this new policy will effect us but we are relatively flexible with dates so hopefully it won't spoil how we vacation.

just my 2¢

No, it isn't exactly the same. Not all reservations are booked in advance for ADRs, some are held open and released at the 180 day mark. It is not possible for you to call for a reservation and have them all booked in previous days. It IS possible to call at 180 days and someone else called before you that day and got the remaining reservations.

 

[DVC Jen]

I just found out about this.. and I am NOT happy! Sure it may cut down on SOME day to day calling - but now you have those of us who stay on average of 10 nights doing the day to day calling. How can this make anything easier? It just changes who gets the pain in the rump of having to make those day to day calls.

Obviously another well thought out decision by DVC.

 

[toyboy]

So help me out. If I try to walk a 5 night reservation for Sun. through Thurs. what happens? I will use my current Dec. 2008 vacation from the 7th through the 12th at BCV 1BDRM as an example.

If I try to walk...
I book nights of Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 ... requires 156 pts. (22pts for 3rd, 4th, 7th and 45pts for 5th, 6th)
Next day I call back and book Dec. 8th and drop 3rd...requires same # of pts.
Next day I call back and book Dec. 9th and drop 4th...same # of pts.
Next day I call back and book Dec. 10th and drop 5th...now I only need 133pts.
Next day I call back and book Dec. 11th and drop 6th...now I only need 110 pts.

Questions:
- On the last two days when I drop 23pts. each day, what happens to those points, do they go in holding?
- Am I forced to use them during that use year?
- How does it work if I had to borrow points (say 20 points) from the next year to fill the original 156 pt. reservation (I had 136 current use year), but now I don't need those 20 points for my final reservation (I only need 110 to cover my final reservation)?

Sorry for the questions, but this December will be my first trip as a DVC member. I own at BCV and called DBD in Jan. this year to get the reservation I wanted because I had heard of the horror stories of the first two weeks of December. It was a good thing I did too, because when I called back at the end of the DBD to change my 1 BDRM to a 2 BDRM they told me that there was no availability. I am still on a waitlist to this day and that was fairly close to the maximum 11 month window. I'm afraid this new policy will cause more headaches than it's worth. I didn't find it to be a hassle to call DBD to ensure I got the vacation I needed for my family.

Of course all of the above assumes I can book my original 5 nights and some other members didn't snatch up all of the availability with 6 and 7 night reservations.

 

[bookwormde]

DVC Grandpa

Here is a reprint of my previous response to his concern

They could still do that at the 11 month mark which in most cases would not be a problem unless the wanted concierge or 2 studios for the week of Christmas.

This is not a must; it just stops some avenues of gaming the system and reduces serial renters from grabbing chunks of rooms with 1 call. It might work if you could only do 1 reservation per call or per hour rather than restricting it totally during the 11+7 period. Members with 2 separate contracts (under different formal names could still do it).

boowkormde

 

[bookwormde]

KAT4DISNEY

Yes that wuold be the result.

There is a special condition that exists for reservations from 11+7 to 11 months out due to using the first day rule.

After the 11-month mark this goes away and for practical purposes everyone can book DBD if they want at that point.

bookwormde

 

[RobDoc]

Questions:
- On the last two days when I drop 23pts. each day, what happens to those points, do they go in holding?
- Am I forced to use them during that use year?
- How does it work if I had to borrow points (say 20 points) from the next year to fill the original 156 pt. reservation (I had 136 current use year), but now I don't need those 20 points for my final reservation (I only need 110 to cover my final reservation)?

As long as you cancel those days 31 or more days before arrival, the returned points will just be placed back in your account. If you are still more than 4 months from the end of your Use Year you would be able to bank them or reuse them if they were already previously banked points. They would become "Holding Account" points only if cancelled within 30 days of arrival.

You will only need to use them in that Use Year if they cannot be banked - or may be banked thru the end of the 8th month of your Use Year.

I'd make sure to use any borrowed points only for dates you do not plan to cancel since borrowed points would need to be used before the end of the current Use Year - they cannot be returned to their original Use Year.

 

[bookwormde]

Of course all of the above assumes I can book my original 5 nights and some other members didn't snatch up all of the availability with 6 and 7 night reservations.

Tomboy

This is the real problem for short stay members. If the couple of days before your reservation are relatively low demand days for people ending their reservations and there is significant demand for full weeks starting a couple of days before you, they get priority for the days that you want for your reservation. This demand may be real or just people with lots of points walking their reservations starting at a lower demand period.

bookwormde

 

[dvcdisney]

Not sure if you read the entire thread, but there was a posted (or two) that said they like the new system better. And do you know why? They said they liked it better because they didn't want to go through the hassle of booking DBD and didn't think it was fair that other people did and might get a reservation they wanted.

So, since they chose not to be bothered with it, they didn't want anyone else to be able to do it either.

No, sorrry I didn't read the entire thread..... I can't believe that people do feel that way.

 

[kent285]

I, too, apologize if this has been mentioned already, but does anyone think the timing of this is strange? Just when BLT points are about to be available, they make this announcement. My first thought was that DVC wants us all to panic and purchase a lot of points at BLT in order to have an edge when it comes to making reservations. Maybe I'm way off base.